Decoction Mashing

I am completely obsessed with decoction mashes.

I just needed to share that with people who knew what that meant.

I suck at temp control on decoction mashes. I did an enhanced double decoction two weeks ago (where the thick decoction is used to raise the temperature twice). Protein-Alpha-Beta-Mashout. I managed to hit my first step temperature only by pulling off 2/3 of my mash and adding an additional gallon of distilled water, and I still didn't have enough decoction left over to get up to my second rest.

My temp steps have been fairly small and they have to be just due to equipment constraints. I've been doing a lot of wheat beers of late so I'm infusing to beta-glucan rest another infusion to get to protein rest and increasing from there on by decoction. Typically I'm going 145 and then 152 and then 170 to mash out.

That's pretty much what I'm doing but I'm skipping the beta glucan and going straight to protein. I'm doing a lot of lagers lately, so decoctions are pretty important. I'm still really bad at hitting my temps though, so my mashes end up taking 2-3 hours longer than they should.

Mine have been close but not quite. I keep coming in just a bit under so I'm having to pull a quart or two and bring it to a boil quick to adjust. What kind of thermometer are you using?

shivalotus said:

Mine have been close but not quite. I keep coming in just a bit under so I'm having to pull a quart or two and bring it to a boil quick to adjust. What kind of thermometer are you using?

Click to expand...

Digital probe thermometer. It's fast, and I've calibrated it so I trust the readings. I also stir the crap out of it for 5 minutes before I take a reading.

I pretty much just do double decoctions anymore. Dough in at 145-148, rest, pull all the thick mash, boil (no rests,) add back to 155-158F, rest, pull all thin mash, boil, add back to 168. I just add it back in until it's at temp and then cool the rest of the decoction down with ice. The decoctions are bigger than I need to get the temp rise. This boils practically all the mash. Playing with temps and times can really change the mouthfeel. It only takes a few hours.

why not pull the thick mash back out?

http://www.brewingtv.com/episodes/2011/3/29/brewing-tv-episode-34-decoction-day.html

Traditionally the mashout is with the thin mash. Your not worried about the enzymes anymore and the first decotion should have gotten all the starches. It's (very loosely) based off Kristen England's post at NB.
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=76598&start=30